Be smart: different ways to prevent pregnancy

The education of women on pregnancy prevention and resources is one of the major focuses of many health care facilities. In the Dayton area, there are several places where women can learn more and receive additional resources.

Outside of abstinence, the various types of birth control range from reversible birth control to permanent birth control.

For reversible birth control, the most common method would be via hormonal methods. There are also Copper T and Levonorgestrel intrauterine contraception methods, but these are less common. Hormonal birth control includes several options.

Doctors can insert an “implant” in the patient’s arm, which releases progestin for three years or give shots every three months. Women can take the pill, either with estrogen and progestin or only progestin, every day or wear a patch three weeks at a time.

Another option is the hormonal vaginal contraceptive ring. According to the Center for Disease Control, the effectiveness of these methods ranges from the low nineties up to 99 percent.

Barrier methods are also common and consist of male and female condoms, spermicides and diaphragm and cervical caps.

When a woman is pregnant, there are several agencies that provide the proper resources and care. The Wright State Student Health Services provides pregnancy tests and the cost depends on whether or not the student is covered by the Wright State insurance plan.

The Women’s Centers of Ohio is another agency where students can turn. They serve the southwestern Ohio region and offer free consultations which include a pregnancy test and ultrasound. Since they are a non-profit organization, their services cost very little after the initial consultation.

Planned Parenthood offers similar services with slight variations in cost. They provide a larger spectrum of health and resources material and are also a non-profit organization.

Students should take into account the availability of proper resources and care they can access. Education and understanding is key and many agencies on and off-campus exist to facilitate just that.